CHANGE OF TUNE

Geraldo Rivera Apologizes for Matt Lauer Tweets

After Fox News said it was “troubled” by his defense of the ousted “Today” host.

Geraldo Rivera issued an apology late Wednesday for his statements defending ousted Today show co-anchor Matt Lauer against sexual-misconduct allegations. Rivera’s comments prompted disapproval from Fox News, which said it was “troubled” by remarks in which he questioned whether the “current epidemic” of sexual-harassment allegations was wrongly “criminalizing courtship.” Rivera said later he “didn’t sufficiently explain that this is a horrendous problem long hidden.” “Harassers are deviants who deserve what is coming to them. Often victims are too frightened to come forward in a timely manner,” he wrote on Twitter. Hours after Lauer was fired from NBC on Wednesday, Rivera called Lauer a “highly skilled & empathetic w guests & a real gentleman to my family & me.” “News is a flirty business & it seems like current epidemic of #SexHarassmentAllegations may be criminalizing courtship & conflating it w predation,” he said.